I've been fortunate to get to photograph these two and their family a few times now, and it's always such a good time. Basically, they're awesome and are up for just wandering around finding awesome light and cool pockets of the location that grab our eye. Pioneer Square is such a good photo location to do exactly that - just wander up and down the streets, you're almost guaranteed to find a new little nook you've never seen.

Can't believe we're already coming up on the end of 2017. 2016 was such a full year with so many amazing clients and moments, and 2017 has proven to be no different. As I start to sift through the thousands of images and *attempt* to put together a recap post from this last season, and since there are no rules in photography or blogging, I thought it's never too late to share my Part Two post from my 2016 season in the meantime (because ok maybe I sort of got too busy to post this Part Two ages ago). It's still so crazy to me I'm approaching my 11th year now in this industry, and every time I get to tell couple's wedding stories I feel refreshed and inspired.

As 2017 season wraps up, my highlight this year was my wife and I finding out, in May, that we were pregnant with our first son, due this next month (January). We are breathlessly waiting and preparing for his arrival, which makes this holiday season that much more exciting. We're in full baby prepping mode over here, and can't wait to start off 2018 being parents. We *think* Bodie will be the best big puppy brother too. He'll just have to learn to share a little of our attention. ;)

Twenty sixteen. What a year. Depending who you talk to, you'd probably get a wide spectrum of views on exactly what kind of year it was. I think that's one of the things I love both about what I do, and about doing these year-end retrospective posts. What better way to find and focus on the positive, than looking through a year's worth of weddings, elopements, engagements, families ... all the things that end up really defining what our lives are about.

I delivered in the neighborhood of 50,000 finished photos this year (which kind of explains why I'm doing two parts to this post... how can I narrow all that down to one short post? Not happening) and if there's one thing that really stood out to me, it's the importance of community and connection. Those two things have this amazing ability to transcend, heal, and grow our families, lives, and relationships. I got to see huge tight-knit families, families who'd experienced loss, families that had been divided, rejoined, healed, people whose families were woven by choice and not birth, people who became family solely for each other... and of course family of the four-legged canine variety (prob the cutest kind of family, if you ask me.)

It's been amazing to continuely witness the way our love and connections defy labels and boxes, and matters all the more because of that.

I'm heading into my 10th year in this crazy photography career/life, and each year that ticks by feels like a blessing to be surrounded by love and commitment and amazing humans doing a thousand small/ huge / subtle / loud / monumental / heartfelt things for each other.

Can't thank each of you enough for allowing me into your lives to tell a sliver of your story, it's an honor I don't take for granted. You're the best, I appreciate you.

“While there is perhaps a province in which the photograph can tell us nothing more than what we see with our own eyes, there is another in which it proves to us how little our eyes permit us to see.” - Dorothea Lange

If I can get a little bit lofty, ponderous, philosophical for a second - which I think artists are totally allowed to do, right? - this quote does an incredible job of leaning towards what I love about photography. It isn't just about the literal scene in front of you. It can go so much further than that. Many of my favorite photos (my own, and from others) are beloved because they delve into the emotions and aesthetics of what's in the frame; letting the viewer's mind wander past the obvious and explore the experience of that image.

That's something I've been trying to create and find in my own work a lot lately. Showing some of my work in this panoramic format has been a super fun way to explore that. I think our eyes get so accustomed to the normal aspect ratios in our phones and "real" cameras, that moving to a panoramic format helps us escape the more literal view of the image. Ideally I think the superwide panoramic formats lend themselves to a more cinematic feel (probably because, you know, they actually are cinematic aspect ratios, ha) which encourages looking at the images as more than just an overt record of an event.

Anyway - I could ramble more, but really I just wanted to share a bit of an experiment in something different. As photographers, seeing things in a constantly different, new, and varied way is critical to keeping our work fresh and our minds free from burnout. Here's to finding inspiration in new places, and making photographs that see more than the immediately visible.

This year has been pretty full of traveling thus far, something we've be so grateful for, but going to New Zealand was so unbeatable, especially adventuring around Queenstown and the surrounding areas. More to share from the wedding I photographed there, soon, but for now, here's some portraits I made of our good friends Ryan and Heidi. Emily and I couldn't have asked for better people to hang with for part of our time in New Zealand, these two are aces.

A couple years ago when I met Emilee and Taylor at Cafe Presse to talk about photographing their wedding, I knew they were awesome people. Since then they've become some of my wife and my favorite people and closest friends. Having clients who become friends is hands down my favorite thing about doing what I do, it feels like such a blessing to get to know so many genuinely great humans.

Earlier this winter the four of us cruised out to the beautiful Methow Valley to spend a couple days in a cozy cabin, sit by the fire, have dance parties, hike around the river with masks on ... you know, the usual. Oh, and we made some photos.

See more of their wintery portrait session featured on Magnolia Rouge.

Jasmine and Jason wanted to go explore some new scenery in Washington before they moved away (sadness.) We hopped in the car and headed out on one of my favorite drives in the state - the North Cascades highway towards the Methow Valley. The mossiest of mosses, epic lakes, and some ginormous icicles. I think the great PNW did us proud. Diablo Lake is definitely is a place to go check out if you live in the Pacific Northwest.

More of this Pacific Northwest couple portrait session featured over on Junebug Weddings.

2014. Whoa. It's February and I feel like I'm still catching my breath from this last year. This has been by far our busiest, craziest year yet, which feels like - and is - a huge blessing. This spring my wife Emily joined me full time, helping making everything run smoothly. To everyone who commissioned us this year, thank you. Thank you for inviting us to be a part of some of the most momentous and long-planned days and moments of your lives. I know it's probably a cliche, but I honestly don't care - it's such an honor to get to do what I love.

I didn't want this post to be a "Best of 2014" or a "2014 Favorites" type of thing. Although these photos are some of my best, and some of my favorites. It was impossible to work every shoot into this post, or every photo I love - because I love them all and I kinda get attached. Just too many photos. Going through the tens of thousands of images we made was a joy, it was fun to take a step back, breath, and relive everything we created this year. It also made me realize that posting every photo I wanted to would make an internet-breakingly big post. Ain't nobody got time for that. So what this post is, is a small (haha) slice of the moments and portraits at some of the weddings, engagement and boudoir sessions that we photographed. Little pieces that meant something to me.

Look out for full blog posts of a bunch of these sessions in the coming months.

"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder."

- GK Chesterton

When I think about my mom and dad, gratitude is one of the first, strongest emotions that I feel. Not that I can claim a long life and deep wisdom, but, the longer I live, the more appreciation and awe and admiration I have for what they did for me and my siblings. And not just that, but the longer I'm married, the more appreciation and awe and admiration I have for what they did, and do, for each other. Seeing a couple travel through thirty plus years of mountains, valleys, and plateaus - and constantly aiming for those joyous peaks - is incredible, and hugely inspiring.

I'm so thankful for my parents example and friendship, in life and everything that goes with it. Getting to photograph them as a Christmas gift was without a doubt one of the highlights of my journey as a photographer. Honestly there probably wouldn't have been much of a photographic journey without their support and encouragement. I can only imagine that your oldest son deciding that college was lame and he wanted to be a photographer wasn't an easy thing to support initially, but they did. Their encouragement to always pursue what I loved and work at it wholeheartedly really sums up the kind of souls they are.

See more of their shoot featured on previous Bachelorette, Desiree Hartsock, wedding blog.